A 73-year-old woman has been spared jail for a “sophisticated” fraud to claim ownership of land at the centre of a neighbours’ dispute.
Joan Shackleton, of Sykes Lane, Oxenhope, pleaded guilty to obtaining property by deception in September 2005 at Bradford Crown Court in May.
This week, she was sentenced to a 12-month community order with supervision and warned by a judge to co-operate with the probation service or end up “back in the dock”.
Prosecutor Caroline Wigin said Mrs Shackleton and her son Graham objected to vehicles using Rushworth Lane, Oxenhope, an unadopted access road near their home. Three cottages were being renovated and lorries were using the route for the building work. Joan Shackleton submitted documents to the Land Registry claiming ownership of the lane.
Miss Wigin said she deliberately altered plans and conveyancing documents dating from the 1920s. The Crown originally charged Graham Shackleton as well in connection with the fraud but the Crown dropped the case against him.
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